12 Sustainable and Ethically Sourced Tea Brands
You might accompany your cozy night in with a warm cup of chamomile tea, or perhaps some raspberry tea with lemon when those period cramps are starting to settle in, or a ginger tea to help with digestion when dinner just isn’t sitting right. Tea is a beverage enjoyed daily by millions of people around the world. Not only is it a subtler alternative to coffee, but it has been used as medicine around the world for millennia. As warm as those cups of tea may make us feel, the tea farming industry is not without its history of exploitation and unethical practices.
In many countries, tea farmers often work long hours for very low wages, without access to basic human rights like healthcare or education. The use of harmful chemicals and pesticides in tea farming can have negative effects on both the environment and the health of the farmers themselves. Despite the steady demand for tea, farmers often struggle to make liveable wages. Sustainable baddies are uniting to support sustainable and ethical tea brands that prioritize the environment and demand fair labor practices and wages for the farmers who grow our tea.
From fair trade and organic ingredients to sustainable packaging, these brands are committed to making a positive impact on the world while still delivering a delicious and satisfying cup of tea. Whether you only brew yourself a cup of tea when you feel a sore throat coming on or tea-drinking is a tradition passed onto you by your ancestors, these sustainable and ethically sourced tea brands will help ensure that cup of tea comes from an ethical place.
A Brief History of Tea
Tea has a history that dates back thousands of years, with evidence of its cultivation dating back to 3rd century ancient China, but it was during the colonial period that tea became a major global commodity. The British East India Company played a significant role in establishing tea plantations in India, which was then a British colony, and exporting tea to other parts of the world. The demand for tea grew rapidly in Europe and America, and the profits from tea exports became a crucial source of revenue for the British Empire. However, the tea trade was also marked by exploitation and injustice, including the forced labor of indentured workers and the oppression of local communities. The global tea industry continues to thrive today, alongside its exploitative colonial practices, with tea being one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world.
Teas
Founded by Simon Cheng, Pique tea sources its ingredients from the most bio-diverse and ecological locations in the world. Valuing quality and artisanship, they’ve formed deep relationships with farming families, teamasters, traditional medicine doctors, and ingredients scientists.
Founded by brother and sister duo Ahmed Rahim and Reem Hassani, Numi aims to share the transformative and healing powers of tea with the world. The company is named after the steeped dried desert lime they drank during their childhood in Baghdad, Iraq. Their fair trade organic tea ensures fair wages and safe working conditions for tea farmers.
BLK & Bold is a Black-owned coffee and tea company working to unite coffee and tea lovers through investing in community resources, especially for the youth. Co-founders Pernell and Rod started their company with the belief that children should be equipped with the resources to live up to their full potential. They pledge 5% of proceeds to nonprofits across the country dedicated to providing guidance to America’s youth.
Aesthete Tea is a QBIPOC, woman-owned business. The brand seeks to connect with the community and provide workshops, classes, and events to promote a more conscious way of living. They aim to share the teachings of ancient tea traditions rooted in the folk healing practices of a variety of cultures.
Arbor Teas’ mission is to find amazing organic teas and deliver them to customers as sustainably as possible. Their tea collection is organic and Fair Trade Certified, Carbon-free, and wrapped in compostable packaging.
Kombucha & Fermented Teas
Alesia Miller, founder and CEO of Soul Brew Kombucha, founded Milwaukee’s first Black woman-owned kombucha brewing company. Each brew is produced in small batches to ensure a high-quality organic kombucha.
Health-Ade Kombucha aims to help kombucha lovers improve their gut health with their probiotic-packed products. They’re working to grow their sustainability efforts and their sustainability initiative, which seeks to reduce their carbon footprint and manufacturing waste and improve packaging recyclability.
Deanne’s Kombucha is handcrafted and brewed in small batches in Saint Paul, Minnesota. They use organic ingredients and the traditional process of fermenting in oak barrels to maintain the original brewing culture.
Tea Subscriptions
Brew Tea Co is a B-Corp-certified business that produces tea made from freshly-rolled whole leaves to create a richer and tastier cup of tea. Their subscription service allows tea lovers to choose from thirteen different blends and adjust the frequency of their delivery.
Blue Tea Box works with small merchants to give the worker and farmers better profits in the production process. Their teas are ethically sourced from smallholders, local cooperatives, and smaller plantations. Their subscription service offers between 30 and 100 cups of tea a month!
Zero / Low-Waste Filters
DAVIDsTEA Infuser
DAVIDsTEA’s infuser is perfect for a single cup. It’s made from durable stainless steel and its shape adapts to almost any mug. The DAVIDsTEA Perfect Infuser was specially designed to keep small tea leaves in place while allowing larger teas plenty of room to expand.
CoffeeSock’s Reusable Tea Sock
The Tea Sock from CoffeeSock is handmade in the U.S. from GOTS Certified Organic Cotton. Once it reaches the end of its life, you can safely toss it in your compost bin. Plus, their packaging is plastic-free and recyclable!
Prefer coffee (or maybe you’re equal-opportunity)? Check out our list of sustainable and ethical coffee brands!
What’s your favorite susty tea brand?